Quartier des Tanneurs

Tanners worked where water was plentiful, because hides had to be soaked, washed and treated for weeks, and the smells made them unwelcome neighbours. In Nevers, which sits where the Nièvre river meets the Loire, the natural place for such trades was along the banks of the smaller river, away from the cathedral and the ducal quarter. A district named for tanners therefore points to a working edge of the old town, with narrow lanes, low houses and the memory of craftsmen who made the leather that the town traded.

The old town of Nevers has a good deal to see around it. The Palais des Ducs de Nevers, an early Renaissance palace with turrets and a grand staircase tower, stands above the Loire and is the best-known civic monument. The Cathédrale Saint-Cyr-et-Sainte-Julitte mixes Romanesque and Gothic parts, with a rare double apse. The Église Saint-Étienne is a Romanesque church of the eleventh century, a calm and well-preserved example of the style. The Porte du Croux, a fourteenth-century gate with a museum inside, and the Tour Goguin are surviving parts of the old fortifications.

Nevers is also known for its faience, the glazed pottery produced here since the sixteenth century, which was inspired by Italian craftsmen who settled in the town. Pieces in blue and other colours are shown at the Musée des Beaux-Arts, and the faience tradition still inspires craft shops in the old streets. The Quai de la Loire gives a view of the river and the long bridge across it, and walking along the water is one of the pleasant things to do in the city. The Église Saint-Pierre-ès-Liens adds another stop for those interested in religious buildings.

Nevers is also a pilgrimage town, since the body of Saint Bernadette of Lourdes is kept in the chapel of the convent where she spent her later years, which draws many visitors every year.

A stroll through the old streets near the Nièvre is best taken as part of a longer walk, with no fixed list of sights. It suits curious walkers who like to read the layers of a town. Because there is little formal information, ask at the tourist office for the best route and for anything that is open.